Diana Racine 02 - Goddess of the Moon

Chapter Two
    The Call

    D iana Racine spent three weeks bronzing in the South Texas sun w ithout one vision of a dead body or potential victim. Today, lying on a chaise with the ocean sounds as background music, she opened one eye, then the other, and settled her gaze on Ernie Lucier. He sat under the patio umbrella reading, his caramel-colored skin safe from the sun’s rays. He caught her looking, and his smile crinkled the corners of his gold-flecked hazel eyes.
    “This has been the best vacation ever, ” she said. “ Do we have to go home tomorrow ?”
    “Some people have to work.” He rose and was halfway to her when his cell rang. “Damn. I’d forgotten what that nasty thing sounded like.” With an apologetic shrug, he ret urned to his seat and answered.
    Diana watched a vee of brown pelicans soar above the palm trees fluttering in the warm breeze off the ocean. She pried herself from her chair and lazily strolled to nestle in Lucier’s lap , hoping to distract him from whatever th e disruptive call had in store.
    “What, Sam? I didn’t hear you.” Then, sotto voce, Lucier said, “Diana, hold on. Something’s happened.” He raised his voice, switching the phone to her side of his head so she could listen . “Did you say a baby’s been kidnapped?”
    Diana pressed her ear next to Lucier’s. On the other end, Detective Sam Beecher reported that someone had kidnapped a newborn from a New Orleans home by climbing in the nursery window while the parents were entertaining guests.
    “Anything to go on?” Lucier asked.
    “Nothing,” Beecher said. “No prints other than footprints outside the window, but CSU says nothing unusual in the shoe.”
    “Where was the baby?” Diana asked, moving into Lucier’s phone.
    “In a bassinet ,” Beecher said. “We dusted for prints, but nothing. The kidnapper wore gloves.”
    “Don’t let anyone else near it until I get there ,” Diana said . “ The fewer hands messing up the vibes the better.”
    Lucier signed off with a promise to return to New Orleans as soon as possible. He rubbed Diana’s neck. “Are you sure you want to get back into the psychic business so soon?”
    “Darling, I’ve been doing this since I was a kid. One more time isn’t going to send me over the edge. Now, let’s pack and get an early plane back. We’ve no time to lose. You know as well as I that every minute counts in a kidnapping. ”
    “That I do.” He pulled her close. “I never wanted this vacation to end, but what do they say about all good things?”
    “Settled then.” She planted a kiss on his lips and within ten minutes had folded all their belongings into two suitcases while he made plane reservations.
    Was it too soon? They’d spent the last three weeks at an oceanfront house on South Padre Island. Sun, salt water, and a man’s loving attention did wonders to erase the memory of the serial killer who almost made her his last victim. Tanned and relaxed, she felt almost normal.
    But in the eyes of the world, Diana Racine wasn’t normal. Not since, as a six-year old, her telepathic gifts led police to the body of a missing child. Remembering that day and the many that followed sent a familiar icy shiver through her. Entertaining the crowds that filled venues all over the world had saved her sanity. Even so, she’d never be considered normal ― except in the eyes of New Orleans police lieutenant Ernie Lucier.
    Yeah, she was ready.
    Lucier stuck his head in the bedroom door. “ Gotta go. It’s over twenty miles to the airport, and our plane leaves in an hour and a half.”
    “ Wow, that was fast. I hope we don’t hit any traffic.”
    “No other flights till morning. Beecher and Cash will meet us at the airport. Beecher said he’d drive my car so I can look over the police report on the way.” He zipped their suitcases a nd carried them out to the car.
    Diana made a quick run-through of the house. She always forgot something hanging behind the bathroom door or tucked in a drawer, but not this time. Heading for the door, she ran into Lucier.
    “One minute.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “I love you.”
    “Me too. You, I mean.”
    “And you’re a great lay.”
    Her laugh echoed through the house and accompanied them to the rental car parked in the driveway.

Chapter Three
    The Bassine t

    “W elcome back, boss,” Beecher said when they exited the secure area of the airport .
    “Thanks.” Lucier wanted to say it was